A typical disk drive for receiving removable storage cartridges has an actuator that carries read/write heads for communicating with a disk. Linear actuators translate back and forth along a radial axis of the disk. Rotary actuators usually consist of a structural arm that pivots on a voice coil motor and carries read/write heads on a distal end.
When the storage cartridge is not in use, it has a casing surrounding a storage disk which provides protection against dust or contaminants. However when the disk is installed in a drive and accelerated to high speeds for fast access by read/write heads in the drive, an incredible amount of air turbulence is created. Therefore, protection and stabilization of the storage medium on the disk becomes a very serious problem. Some improvements have been obtained by incorporating an inner seal around portions of the periphery of the storage cartridge. See, for example U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/346,485 entitled A SHUTTERLESS DATA RECORDING CARTRIDGE AND SEAL, which is incorporated herein by reference. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,406 entitled DATA STORAGE CARTRIDGE HAVING ONE OR MORE SURFACE RECESSES FOR IMPROVED INTERNAL AIR CIRCULATION, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Higher storage density on disk storage media has made the prevention and control of dust infiltration a very important factor. Also undesirable particles dislodged or otherwise transported through the air because of the various moving parts within the cartridge and associated drive may abrade and corrupt the storage media or the read/write heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,652 to Leonard, et al. discloses a generally square disk cartridge for a recording disk includes at least one air filter in a corner of the cartridge and a circular rib adjacent the disk and between the disk and the filter. The cartridge may also include a radial rib connected to the circular rib to enhance air flow to the filter. Air filters may be located in each of the corners of the cartridge with associated circular and radial ribs to induce air flow to each filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,061 to Patterson et al. discloses a cartridge with a flexible storage disk that rotates against a Bernoulli surface with a passage in communication with a differential pressure region such that air moves through the passage. A filter is positioned in the passage to remove particulate materials from the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,070 to Bordes discloses a cartridge disk that includes an electrostatic filter in the shell enclosure that is strategically placed to clean the air circulated within the cartridge disk during operation. One part of the filter is placed in an air inlet centrally-mounted in the cover piece of the shell enclosure near a rotation axis of the hard disk platter. A second part of the filter is positioned in an outlet port and sandwiched between the cover piece and the base piece of the shell enclosure.
What is needed is a system that enhances the removal of particulates in a removable data cartridge. Preferably, the system would clean the cartridge quickly on startup to minimize the risk of particulates causing damage during operation.